Hershey Cup Rosters Announced for WHL and OHL

By League Press Release

January 9th, 2002

Calgary – The Canadian Hockey League and Western Hockey League todayannounced the players that will represent the WHL’s Eastern Conference forThe Hershey Cup CHL All – Star Series. The WHL Eastern Conference All-Starswill host the OHL Western Conference All-Stars. The game will be played onJanuary 23, 2002 at the Enmax Centrium in Red Deer, Alberta.

The WHL Eastern Conference All-Stars team was selected by a panel of threeWHL General Managers from teams which had the best record at the 30 gamemark in the 2001-02 WHL schedule. The selection committee consisted ofBrent Sutter of the Red Deer Rebels, Brad McEwen of the Swift CurrentBroncos and Kelly McCrimmon of the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Brent Sutter of the Red Deer Rebels has been named head coach while BradMcEwen of the Swift Current Broncos and Dallas Gaume of the Red Deer Rebelswill serve as assistant coaches.

“There were some tough decisions to be made but with the group of playersthat were chosen we feel that our conference will be represented very well,” stated Brent Sutter, Head Coach of the WHL’s Eastern Conference All-StarTeam.

The team includes the current top three WHL scorers, Nathan Barrett,Lethbridge Hurricanes (1st – 68 Pts), Tyler Beechey, Calgary Hitmen (Tied2nd – 59 Pts) and Matt Hubbauer, Regina Pats (Tied 4th – 57 Pts). Leadingthe defence will be Ian White of the Swift Current Broncos, the WesternHockey League’s leading scoring defencemen with 52 points. Also included onthe team are four members of Canada’s Silver Medal National Junior Team (JayBouwmeester, Medicine Hat Tigers; Garth Murray, Regina Pats; Nathan Paetschand Brian Sutherby of the Moose Jaw Warriors).

“The new interlocking all-star game format provides our top players in theWestern Hockey League with a rare opportunity to compete against the bestthe OHL has to offer,” stated Ron Robison, Commissioner of the WHL. “Giventhe rivalry that exists between our leagues it promises to be a veryentertaining game for the fans,” continued Ron Robison.

Proceeds from the Hershey Cup CHL All-Star Series game played in Red Deerwill be donated to various charities including the Ron MacLean Foundationand the Sutter Fund, two non-profit organizations involved in variouscharitable endeavours in Red Deer and throughout Central Alberta.

The Ontario Hockey League also announced today the OHL’s Western ConferenceAll-Stars that will travel to Red Deer to battle the WHL’s EasternConference. Included on the team are seven members of Canada’s Silver MedalNational Junior Team (Brad Boyes, Erie Otters; Carlo Colaiacova, ErieOtters; Jay Harrison, Brampton Battalion; Rick Nash, London Knights; SteveOtt, Windsor Spitfires; Jason Spezza, Windsor Spitfires and Stephen Weiss,Plymouth Whalers) and two members of Russia’s Gold Medal National JuniorTeam (Fedor Tjutin, Guelph Storm and Agris Saviels, Owen Sound Attack).

Coaches of the OHL’s Western Conference All-Stars are Peter DeBoer (HeadCoach) and Steve Spott of the Kitchener Rangers.

The Hershey Cup CHL All-Star Series is a three-game interlocking seriesinvolving the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and the QuebecMajor Junior Hockey League. The OHL’s Eastern Conference All-Stars host theQMJHL’s Lebel Conference All-Stars on Wednesday January 16, 2002 at theCivic Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. The WHL game will be held in Red Deer,Alberta on Wednesday January 23, 2002 with the WHL’s Eastern ConferenceAll-Stars hosting the OHL’s Western Conference All-Stars. The final game ofthe Hershey Cup CHL All-Star Series will have the QMJHL Dilio ConferenceAll-Stars host the WHL’s Western Conference All-Stars in Rimouski, Quebec onWednesday, February 6, 2002.